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Saturday, February 18, 2017

GOP ‘Cowards’ Cause Labor Nominee To Withdraw Name From Consideration

Cowardice within the GOP-led Senate gives a union smear campaign the scalp of Trump's labor nominee.

WASHINGTON, DC—President Trump’s nominee for labor secretary, fast-food CEO Andrew Puzder, is withdrawing his name for consideration one day before Senate confirmation hearings were due to begin.

“After careful consideration and discussions with my family, I am withdrawing my nomination for Secretary of Labor,” Puzder said in a statement. “I am honored to have been considered by President Donald Trump to lead the Department of Labor and put America’s workers and businesses back on a path to sustainable prosperity.”

While Puzder was the subject of a seemingly slanderous campaign against him which was designed and executed by the Left-wing allies of the AFL-CIO and Service Employees International Union—which included nationwide protests on Monday—it was not until Republican Senators began to waffle on their support of him that it became clear his confirmation was in serious jeopardy.

According to the Washington Post, several Republicans were wavering on Puzder, even before giving him a hearing.

In addition to [Republican Senator John] Thune (S.D.), Republican Sens. Rob Portman (Ohio), Thom Tillis (N.C.), Susan Collins (Maine), Johnny Isakson (Ga.), Lisa Murkowski (Alaska) and Tim Scott (S.C.) said this week that they were on the fence regarding Puzder. Collins, Isakson, Murkowski and Scott sit on the HELP Committee while the others do not — signaling that the concerns about Puzder are widespread.

Thune’s hesitancy is notable because his leadership role makes him responsible for helping to build support for big-ticket GOP causes.

The Republican wavering, no doubt, is due to the viciousness of the SEIU-led campaign against Puzder and, knowing this, the unions are already claimed victory.

On Wednesday afternoon, AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka called Puzder’s withdrawal “great news” in a statement.

Additionally, the SEIU’s #FightFor15 front groups were also quick to declare victory.

In response to Puzder’s withdrawal, Americans for Limited Government President Rick Manning stated, “Donald Trump’s Department of Labor needs a strong leader who can enact his agenda in a hostile environment, who understands the nuances of labor issues and who has served as an employer making the tough choices that make the difference between making payroll and laying off employees. Trump had this exact person type of business leader and labor expert in Andrew Puzder.”

“Unfortunately, as many as a dozen unnamed Senate GOP cowards opposed Puzder’s nomination before he even had a chance to appear in committee. Puzder was repeatedly slandered in the media with no way to publicly respond to Big Labor attack dogs and their henchmen,” Manning stated.

Had Republicans recognized the smear campaign against Puzder for what it was and stayed together in combatting the unions’ assault on Puzder, his nomination would have likely survived or, at the very least, he would have had the opportunity to defend himself in his confirmation hearings.

Instead, unions and their Leftist allies are undoubtedly emboldened by their “victory” and President Trump must now seek another nominee for labor secretary who can not only withstand the Left’s smear campaign, but can also withstand the cowardice from within the GOP-led Senate.